Architecture is on the verge of a golden age, and this fundamental shift in architecture is happening with the help of social media.
Alexandra Lange writes that “Architects need to start thinking of social media as the first draft of history.”
Indeed, the widespread popularity of social media means that the consumption of architecture is now both instantaneous and freed from geography; it has transcended the historic limits of time and space. This means that the barriers surrounding the architectural conversation have been broken down. Today, anyone who lays eyes on a building can be at once a user, a photographer, and a critic with a public forum.
For the first time in history, architects can hear the public. And this public is craving innovation.
In a brilliant TED Talk, Marc Kushner says that “Architecture is not about math or zoning – it’s about visceral emotion” that we feel to the places we occupy.
We as architects are now endowed with a mission to listen to this public’s voice, their feelings and their needs, and start designing responsibly because architecture doesn’t just reflect our society, but shapes it.
Architecture must be celebrated because new architecture is our future heritage. It must be better than what it replaces and it must facilitate a better living. But most importantly, architecture needs an assertive public as it will only thrive if the public demands this. So join us in this journey as we navigate the roads of social networking and collaboration and help us create a better heritage for ourselves, our children and our planet.
